Drills

I keep getting asked about drills. First, let me tell you that drills are boring as hell. Most players might do a few then just walk over to the rail and pick up a game. Wanna' know the trick about doing drills? GET A COACH. Seriously. And preferably one that knows what they are talking about. Pegging a ball into a pocket... walking down and setting the ball up again... walking back... pegging a ball into a pocket... walkin... are you getting the picture? Imagine pegging ball into pocket, pegging ball into pocket, pegging ball into pocket, all the time someone giving you immediate feed back. This is how you shave years and years off your progress toward greatness. I'm not saying this is easier ... it's not. TRUST me... it just saves time. Back, shoulder, and arm fatigue sets in faster. But muscle memory builds faster. Pain. I'm not kidding. Real, honest to goodness pain.

So, lets just say you've either found a coach or you are the dedicated type. Here are some drills I did last night with Hayner. Coaching really is a very personal thing.. maybe if someone asks I'll talk more about coaching, however what I choose to do with Hayner... IS NOT, in all probability, what I'd do with YOU!! I chose these particular shots for reasons applying directly to Hayner's current game/ability.

Note, my placement of the cue ball and object balls is specific. It makes no sense to drill if the shot you take isn't the same EACH time. Chalk the table, lick your finger and dab it on the table... don't care... just make it the same each and every time.

This first shot is just a basic rail shot with up-table shape. This is achieved with about a half tip of top (for Hayner... he has what is called a 'monster' stroke already so he needs to tone it down a lot...) approximately medium speed. Can you get shape on this ball with draw?? OF COURSE. As a matter of fact using draw means you will be going less rails... hit this with bottom left to prevent a scratch in the opposite side, you don't get the spin and you'll just scratch in the other side... lol... but bottom left gets you better shape. But that's not the point.. the point is to take a easier shot with easier shape with almost no worry of scratch. Do this with at least a rack of balls. Mirror the shot and do it again.


This next shot is 3 to 4 rail shape back to the same end of the table. One: this is a good cut shot to know, two: learn now when you can and can not hold up the cue ball. Some players look at this shot and say that I'm letting the cue ball run. Yup. Sure am. But it's ok to let the cue ball run if you KNOW where it's running to!! I tell them 'no... I'm playing shape.' Response? 'Lucky... that's all.' OK.. keep thinking that.. lol. I've seen players take this shot with bottom left, bottom right.. anything to not let the cue ball go. Advice? LEARN where the cue ball is going then let it go! Again, do at least a rack (I do over 20, but under 30 with Hayner on any given shot.) Mirror the shot and do it again.


5 balls from the spot down. I only let Hayner get what I call a 2 second peek at the ball and then he shoots it. Over cutting is ok. Once he makes the shot, he moves to the next one. Once he hits all five, he mirrors it. Normally that switch is the hardest for players. A longer look is needed, but let them learn that lesson slowly. The hardest part of coaching is when to let a player learn from their mistakes and when to tell them what to do. It's a fine, fine line. This drill is over once all five balls have been made in each corner pocket, then move on.


This last shot is a little weird. This is where a coach comes in VERY handy. The coach will stand at the side pocket putting ball after ball up, but also watch where the ball is being cut into the pocket. Yes.. where. As in what side of the pocket. It's totally not good enough to just cut a ball into a pocket, you need to know where in the pocket... as in... right side? center? left? 1/2 left???? And then you need to be consistent with it. As far as I'm concerned... if you weren't supposed to pick which side of the pocket the ball is supposed to be put into, then the pockets would be exactly a balls width with a little wiggle room for error. Instead they were made to be 'cheated'. This is a center, top, left, right drill. Note... NO DRAW. I start with shape on the one ball and work my way to the 6 ball. But I only have three balls on the table at once: the cue, the object ball and the target shape ball. The first time you drill this... the player gets shape on each ball with ALL FOUR FORMS OF ENGLISH, getting good shape 5 times in a row before moving on to the next type of english. Note.. some shape will be better than others.. this is a PATH RECOGNITION drill. This is for getting around traffic or breaking out balls.


The last shot I did not diagram. A true spot shot with the cue ball and object ball on the spots. I'll pick the pocket and which side of the pocket. If he's hitting the pocket in the wrong spot... I'll make him get it 5 times in a row before moving on, if he hits the first two tries.. we move on. Reward... Punishment. It'll all part of the plan! :)

Hope this helps! I'll keep posting my drills if people like it.